Karuizawa 72 Golf
North Course
Located in Karuizawa, one of Japan's foremost highland resort regions, Karuizawa 72 Golf is 13 minutes by car from Karuizawa Station. It is a large-scale facility, with six courses (108 holes). Among them, the North Course, which has hosted ladies' golf tournaments since the 1980s, is the stage for heated contests year after year. It's a course that possesses both the sense of freedom of a resort and a high level of strategy.
2024 NEC Karuizawa 72
Golf Tournament
- Dates
- August 9th~11th 2024
- Venue
- Karuizawa 72 Golf North Course
Tournament Hosting History
- Karuizawa 72 Tokyu Ladies Open Golf Tournament (1987~1991)
- NEC Karuizawa 72 Golf Tournament (Since 1992)
One of Japan's foremost resort regions, and the stage for ladies' pro golf tournaments.
It features a flat, majestic outgoing course, separated from the incoming course by woods. The difference in the impression left by the outgoing and incoming holes is particularly noticeable on the Karuizawa 72 Golf North Course, which hosts the NEC Karuizawa 72 Golf Tournament each August. As you might expect from a tournament venue, the course's full length from back tees exceeds 7,000 yards.
Facing the wide fairway, characteristic of a resort course, you can take bracing tee shots, but the North Course earns its stature as a tournament course with bunkers placed on the inside corners of the dogleg holes, and ponds that lie in wait in front of the green on the straight holes. The changes in difficulty determined by the placement of the roughs and greens is what sets it apart.
The bentgrass on the fairway, rare for a Honshu golf course, is another special feature of this highland resort course.
The verdant bentgrass not only looks beautiful, but alongside the stunning views of Mt. Asama, serves to elevate the air of elegance during a round of golf.
18 holes of pure, exhilarating golf
If we look at the holes from a scoring perspective, the first one that comes to mind is the 14th (Par 4). At 418 yards, this straight hole is toward the longer end of the middle-length holes. The area around the green is challenging, with bunkers in the front that cannot be ignored.
Another hole to watch out for is the famous 17th (Par 3), where pin placement can have a major impact on difficulty. You must avoid falling to the pressure imposed by the pond jutting out to the front-right side of the green, and instead aim straight for the pin.
The final, 18th hole is where, during the 2023 NEC Karuizawa Golf Tournament, pro Erika Hara hit her tee shot to the front side of the pond, before covering the remaining 120 yards with a 9 iron, holing the ball for a superb eagle.
Top-notch green conditions all season
The greens are well-maintained, and regularly exceed regular courses with speeds of 9-10 feet. For tournaments, they are worked to achieve speeds of 11-12 feet, and if you want to play a round under similar conditions, visiting after the August tournament is recommended.
For practice before your round, stop by the driving range, 10 minutes by car from the course. Using balls that can float on water, you can enjoy the pleasure of taking shots out toward the pond. Many players head over to reception at the course after getting some practice in.
Why not experience the atmosphere of a tournament at one of Japan's leading highland resorts?
